The Empty Cage
by Lemurrs
Summary: Crawling throught the painful abyss, he tried with all of his might to make it. He, the younger. He, the frailer. He, the wiser. Even with his legs in shreds, he finally made it to his goal. But is the truth more than he expected? HikaKao Twincest
1. Prologue

1Wulfi-chan: Okay, first fanfic in a while, so I'm gonna make it a long one. )

Kaitai: Hey, didn't you used to write Fire Emblem fanfics?

Kaoniban: Yeah, that's right!! ...And why am I here? O.o;;

Kaitai: Yeah, Kaoni hasn't been introduced in the storyline yet. O.O

Wulfi-chan: Erm... He'll be introduced soon!! ;; _My _twin (Foxxi-chan) has known about him since August, when he was created. P

Kaoniban: You... don't like... me...? -teary eyes-

Kaitai: --;; -sigh- He gets worked up to easily... -scratches him behind the ear-

Kaoniban: -melts into the touch- X-3

Wulfi-chan: Oh, for those of you who are pretty clueless right now, Kaitai and Kaoniban are twin nekos. The older brother, Neo Kaitai, was my first male character (made around September 2005, I think...). They're original characters I roleplay with.

Kaitai: -with a sly tone of voice- Roleplay...? -smirk-

Kaoniban: -mimics- With us...? -smirk-

Both: We'd love to. -sexiness radiates from them-

Wulfi-chan: -beats them over their heads- Perverts...

Both: Owwie!! -rub their own heads, then pout-

Wulfi-chan: -pulls out the whip-

Both: -are gone-

Wulfi-chan: This sucks. -blank face- Now who's gonna do my disclaimer?

Kaoniban: -pops out of nowhere- Wulfi-chan does not own any of the characters of the following fanfiction.

Kaitai: -jumps up from behind him- She also doesn't own Ouran High School Host Club, which is pretty good, considering she'd probably make it into a porno if she did.

Wulfi-chan: -growls lowly-

Kaitai: GAH!!! THE ENEMY!!! RETREAT, MY DEAR BROTHER!!!! -puts on a Beowulf costume and begins to flee-

Kaoniban: YES, MY BROTHER!!!! -changes into drag as Queen Wealhtheow-

Kaitai: -grabs Kaoniban and runs away with one arm and stifles his nosebleed with the other-

Wulfi-chan: -shrugs- Mah, anyway... Time for my schitzophrenia to emerge. I, the seme, get to play uke! -throws a banana peel at j00- Read or suffer my fruity wrath!! XD

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Prologue: Intricate Steel Misery of Mine...

This room was quite large, even for his standards. It had to be at least thrice the size of his room, if not more than that. The walls seemed imaginary, darkness taking place of the solid barriers which were supposed to keep intruders far away from his private world. This void had no ceiling nor floor, yet seemed completely stable by some figment of psychological wonder. Blackness enshrouded all of this place as if a wormhole had sent it flying through the deep wounds of the vacuum known as outer space, like the empty feeling throbbing inside of his aching heart.

He inched closer to 'it', his mouth dry and vision slightly off. 'It' was staring him in the face, threatening to consume his soul at any given moment. 'It' was deathly and dangerous, but he didn't give up. He would reach that monstrosity crawling if he had too.

Apparently, that's what he had to do.

He didn't care if he was swallowed up by the evil that eminated from it. All he knew was that he had to reach 'it', no matter what circumstances might be at hand. Life, loved ones, health... They all seemed so petty to him now. All that was on his mind was this beckoning demon, and that's all that would ever be on his mind.

It was large, but became smaller as he got closer. The palms of his hands were rough and sore, almost bleeding from dragging himself so far without use from his sliced legs. They looked like shredded lettuce, drenched in red and laying loosely atop bones and torn muscles which used to be strong. A long trail of blood reminded whoever laid eyes on it of a snail's trail of slime, but he was faster than a snail by far, or so he liked to think. He had to be faster than a snail. After all, 'it' was waiting for him.

The teenage boy was paler than usual, his skin the shocking color of ivory. The pain didn't matter to him. He was dead inside, and all that mattered to him was 'it'.

'It' was only feet away now. Dull eyes which had lost their child-like glow over time numbly gazed onward at the godly devil before him. He stopped all actions, not even breathing for what seemed like hours. And there he lay on the raw skin of his stomach, staring in awe at the coarse demon which graced his presence.

'It' was a steel cage. 'It' was empty.

Suddenly, without any kind of warning whatsoever, a searing pain tore through his kneecaps. Rather, the searing pain of a sharp knife tore through his kneecaps as he swiftly turned his head to see who was cutting off his destroyed legs.

Surprisingly, a child around the youthful age of seven or eight years knelt to the side of his useless legs. His bloodsplattered face was blank, apathy apparent in his dark gold eyes. He brushed a tiny crimson hand through his strawberry blonde hair, the same color of the victim's.

Both sets of hazel eyes locked.

"...Who are you...?" uttered the nearly-lifeless teenager, bewildered at the sight of this boy.

Silence ensued. He tried to turn around more, but the younger took this as an opportunity to make his move.

He gave no answer as he gathered up the two legs he had detached and fled the scene of the crime. He vanished into the darkness, leaving not even an ounce of blood in his wake.

Now, he was _truly_ alone.

All he could do was lay in front of 'it'. All he could do was wait for something to happen; good or bad be its nature, he was unsure of.

He didn't see the vehicle, but he heard the deafening crash.

---------------------

Kaoru awoke with an unearthly scream, somewhat a screech but more so a full-throated yell. He tried to sit up instinctively, as he would usually wake from a nightmare, but he was frozen in fear. His heart pumped at an almost inhuman pace, sweat pouring off of his lithe upper body and down his face. His strawberry blonde hair was damp and his breaths were a bit ragged, but more rushed than anything. That had been the worst nightmare he had ever had, no doubt about it.

His terrorized amber eyes hesitantly looked over to his left. Half expecting a monster of some sort to be there, he felt relieved when the area next to him was vacant. He shook violently still, and quivered even more when he realized that his brother wasn't there to comfort him from this experience he was sure he would never forget.

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Wulfi-chan: Well, my beloved readers? What do think of my first angsty fanfic? Horrific, ne?

Kaitai: -pounces at her from a random tree branch- Grrraaaaaahh!!!

Wulfi-chan: -sidesteps with no effort-

Kaitai: -faceplants into the ground-

Kaoniban: -jumps out of the tree and rushes over to him on all fours- Brother!! Brother!!! -stops next to him and looks worried and curious- Are you okay? Are you? Huh? Huh? Well? Are you? ANSWER ME!!! -shakes the unconscious teenager-

Kaitai: .

Wulfi-chan: Thank you for reading, and please review. -bows at the waist-


	2. Chapter One

1Wulfi-chan: Hello, faithful reviewers and not-so-faithful readers!! -laid-back smile-

Kaitai: -sneers- Lazy-ass readers who don't review are scum.

Kaoniban: -pumps fist into air- Yeah, you tell 'em, brother!!

Kaitai: Erm, don't hurt yourself, Kaoni... --;;

Kaoniban: Okay!!

Wulfi-chan: Settle down, my dear muses. We're about to begin the first chapter of my first angsty fanfiction:D

Kaitai: And yet you're so happy.

Kaoniban: What a sadist.

Wulfi-chan: -pulls out the whip-

Both: -flee-

Wulfi-chan: I do not own this wonderful anime, sadly enough. All reviews I have received will be answered at the end. Also, the essay Kaoru is writing in this chapter is an actual essay by me that I had to do for both an English grade and a Science grade. Got a 100 from both teachers (damn, I'm good!). Please enjoy:)

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Chapter One: Knowing is Easy, Accepting is Hard

_**-The Balance of Unseen Harmony-**_

_**A Tale of Protons and Electrons**_

_They are drawn together by some uncomprehensible force of nature, yet so _

_ironically different from one another they exist. The justice pulsating within one species _

_balances out the eminent darkness that radiates from the many demons inside of a _

_world among many. The positive thrive with their neutral allies, huddled together as the _

_negative enemy swarms like rabid fruit flies around the juicy bounty of a lifetime. They _

_are trapped by these fiends! However, they still succumb to the level of peace, so that _

_they may work together to form a planet inside an almost endless galaxy. This world, _

_believe it or not, is a minuscule atom belonging to the wing of a gnat!_

_Atoms are everywhere, no matter how much your paranoia wants to deny the _

_fact that innumerable specks come together to form an item of any size. They compact _

_themselves into solid objects and are crafted to form the air one breathes each day they _

_live on this hunk of rock we call Earth. But when exploring the deeper recesses of an _

_atom, it is painfully obvious to see that the world inside of ourselves is even more _

_complex than we ever could have thought!_

_The good side takes residence on the planet, whereas the foes constantly stalk _

_the actions of the protons and neutrons which make up the nucleus. Holding a positive _

_charge, the former get their name from the Latin stem 'pro', which means 'for'. The _

_neutrons are (here's a big shock) neutral. Together, they form an alliance called the _

_nucleus._

_Swiftly surrounding the bustling nucleus, electrons monitor the activity that goes _

_on with the opposing side. They travel on rail-like imaginary trails like vultures, waiting _

_for one almost unnoticeable screw-up from their foil, the group they formed known _

_simply as the nucleus and nothing more. Their negative charge throbs like a bleeding _

_thumb, pain fueling their hatred for those who are unlike them. The only fate for them is _

_to forever oversee these prisoners they hold captive in the center of the atom._

_Existence is the meaning of life, in a sense; simply living is the meaning of life, _

_seeing as how that's all we can do. Living is the only thing the protons and neutrons can _

_do, only fear keeps them at bay. Forever they shall remain under the rule of the _

_electrons, for that is the life of the foe. The electrons live not only to keep the nucleus _

_together, but also to protect; to protect the protons and neutrons from exiting the safe _

_haven they put together in order for everything to be. And that, without a doubt, is why _

_harmony is established in this world of ours; it all boils down to the littlest pieces of thepuzzle._

Kaoru sighed heavily and rubbed his throbbing fingers, worn out from relentlessly pounding the small blocks on the keyboard. The clock ticked on simply, a sense of foreboding causing a drop of sweat to roll down the back of his neck. He'd been in front of his Windows XP for two hours typing and backspacing where he saw fit. How stupid of him to wait until the day before the essay was due! His best subject was Literature, but computers were not his forte. Rather, they were Hikaru's.

The younger's thought process was deeper and more meaningful, as shown by his writing. This paper he spent two hours of his life writing was riddled with subliminal messages he had unconsciously used as catalysts. It was easy to write something like a compare-and-contrast paper when you could use your life as a reference, even if it _was_ scientific.

It was ten at night, and the older of the two was still nowhere to be found. He had a bad habit of disappearing as of late, and it worried Kaoru to no end.

--------------------

_Hikaru, with his usual scowl, stared blankly at the empty maple syrup bottle and scoffed. "Damn," he muttered in disappointment. "Looks like we're out of syrup again." Kaoru glanced over at him, closing the refrigerator_ _door with a loose hand. "Really?" he blinked twice in disbelief. A quizzical look came about his face. "I'm guessing that's because you used up most of it last night, but didn't you leave some?"_

_He shrugged and turned his back to his mirror image. "I dunno what happened to it, unless..." he trailed off, a smirk forming on his lips (which Kaoru could not see, mind you). The confused teen raised an eyebrow innocently. "Unless what?"_

"_Unless... YOU ATE THE REST OF IT!!!"_

_Next thing he knew, Hikaru was on top of his lithe body, the empty bottle strewn across the tile floor of the kitchen. His rough, sticky hands pinned the younger down by the wrists, a feline curl of the lips taking part right in front of his amber eyes. Hikaru half-lidded his eyes and mischievously purred in Kaoru's ear, the soft skin of his cheek brushing his twin's own. "Dear brother," he breathed out, voice husky and seductive due to an impending sense of lust. "By any chance, did _you_ happen to consume the rest of my maple syrup?"_

_Speechless and bewildered, Kaoru tried to voice his protests, but to no avail. Hikaru's slight smirk grew into a full-blown smug grin. "Well...?" he drawled, breath warm and tempting against his ear. Sadly, he was at a loss for words. His brother had never done something this risque. Ever. This was quite a predicament..._

_It became even more compromising when the maids_ _discovered them in such a taboo position._

---------------------

Ever since that incident with their favorite gooey substance, Hikaru had become more distant and self-kept. Tension was noted even when they were together, but only by the host club and not the customers. Countless days went by since then and they still were uncomfortable with each other. The daily twincesting for the fangirls continued without fail, but the fake looks they shared had become even more unreal. The princesses, thank gods, didn't notice this slight change in behavior. Every tearful glance and nervous stutter was fake, and every securing touch and rehearsed line was phony. Their act, however heartfelt and dramatic it may have seemed, was numb to their own hearts. They had inevitably lost power in their herculean, mighty bond. There was no telling if the kindness would ever return to them.

The crystal doorknob turned casually, and Kaoru stiffened. He heard the sound clearly, as if gifted by the gods with an angelic level of hearing. He froze, afraid of the coldness that swarmed the person he had the pleasure of calling 'brother'. Things weren't good between them at this moment in time, and only the heavens could foretell what this would do to them in the future. He was scared to death of his brother, but he still cared for him with every bit of his soul. Hikaru, the reaper. Hikaru, the soulless fiend devoid of all emotion towards his little brother. Hikaru, the corpse. Hikaru, the apathetic.

Hikaru, the one he loved above all others.

The door opened to reveal the older, his copper hair dark with rainwater. He shrugged off his soaked jacket and let it fall to the ground with a dull thud as he entered the computer room. His normally blank expression was more dour than anything else. It had been raining for a long time, though Kaoru didn't notice. It had been light and almost unable to hear. But judging by his brother's appearance, it had been an unforgiving downpour wherever he was only minutes ago.

Kaoru kept his back to him and clicked the print button on the screen. He noticed his wet-dog fashion statement only when he walked by and placed a Sobe on the table which the Windows XP sat on.

Wait... what?!

How strange his brother could be sometimes, but this phase didn't allow such abnormalities. Why did Hikaru bring him a drink? And a Sobe, at that! His favorite flavor, too! Oh, how he loved the lizard-branded glass bottle and the witty phrases written inside the bottlecap! Was this a peace offering?

The drenched twin flopped on the couch directly to the left of the computer. It faced the plasma screen television, so he was looking the opposite direction of Kaoru. He lamely grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels directly after turning it on.

Kaoru reached over warily and grasped the glass bottle, pulling it to him. He unscrewed the black cap as the printer went to work, chugging out his document at a moderate speed. He stayed quiet. He was afraid to start a conflict of any kind with this hot-headed idiot. His brother's scowl was worse than usual, which couldn't be good.

They stayed silent for the longest time, until Hikaru switched off the TV.

"You're quiet lately."

Kaoru sighed heavily, frustrated beyond belief. It was unbelievable how Hikaru was acting calmer than him. When did _that_ happen? He was supposed to be the wildfire, untamable and brash. He was supposed to be the wild, stubborn, angry ass that threw violent tantrums when things didn't go his way. Composure wasn't his strong point. It was _never_ his strong point.

"..."

"You're doing it again."

"Oh, hush."

A chuckle. "That's the first thing I've heard you say without a script in a long time."

"...What happened...?"

Silence for a few moments. "You mean... 'what's going on'?"

Kaoru almost broke into tears. This stress was bearing down on him hard, and at this rate, things were only gonna get worse. Silence yet again, and then selfish Hikaru stood up and walked slowly towards the doorway. The look in his eyes was forlorn, yet they were facing opposite ways.

"...I wish things between us could've worked out how I wanted."

And he left. He fled the scene of the crime, just like the boy in his dream. The crime?

Murder.

Murder of all that was right with brothers nowadays.

Kaoru was in shock. Finally, all of the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. The picture was clear, but it was not pretty. It was chaotic and enigmatical. It was forbidden. It was a demon, but he couldn't help but get close.

Knowing was easy, accepting was hard.

This knew found knowledge was borderline reckless.

Knowing his brother loved like that him was easy, but accepting it... Well, that was going to be hard.

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Wulfi-chan: Many thanks to my 4 wonderful reviewers:D

**Misfit.Toy - Updates may be twice every week, if I'm lucky: )**

**wickedlady 101 **- **Sorry that Hikaru didn't heal his shaking heart, but you'll find out the reason for the dream in the next chapter, hopefully. :D**

**Ina Lan - Thank you! And I cut down on the self-chats, see? See?! XD**

**screamsayonara62 - Wow, such praise!! Thanks a bunch!! I won't let you down! -triumphant fist pump into the air- **

Well, see you next time, and please review!! -is quite happy that her first Ouran fic is going so well-


	3. Chapter Two

Wulfi-chan: Gomen nasai for the long wait, but life's been a cruel mistress to me as of late.

Kaoniban: Hey, that rhymed:D

Wulfi-chan: – –;; Let's get on with the story.

Kaitai: Aw, foo.

Kaoniban: That's no fun.

Wulfi-chan: I don't care if it's fun or not, I only care for this extremely important chapter! To me, it seemed as if the story was moving too fast, but was it really? Hmm... -thoughtful expression- Anyway, you'll see this chapter to be quite the little parody of a certain anime/manga I've been obsessing over for like... five months now. Don't worry, you'll know when the storylines collide! XD Without further ado, the disclaimer, my good man.

Kaitai: O.O Your good... wha-...?

Wulfi-chan: -ahem-

Kaitai: U-uh... Wulfi-chan owns naught but Kaoniban, myself, and the original characters who she'll present in this chapter. Wulfi-chan does **not** own Ouran High School Host Club or the following surprise anime/manga. If she did... Well, let's just say a certain black-haired detective would live longer than a certain brunette teenage death god.

Wulfi-chan: You do just realize that you spoiled the surprise.

Kaitai: Yeah, so?

Wulfi-chan: -pulls out the whip-

Kaitai: -is gone-

Kaoniban: All reviews will be answered after the chapter, so stay tuned, peoples! And remember, read and review, or no more story:D

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Chapter Two: Answering Thy Prayers

Panicked breathing pounded in his ears as the deafening silence of the bedroom was disturbed. It had been an entire two months since his first encounter with the young boy from his nightmare, and there hadn't been a pleasant night since. Deep pools of feline gold scanned the room in a hurry; not like he was afraid, it had just become a habit. His eyes darted in every direction imaginable as he sat up slowly. He attempted to will his heart down to a healthier pace as it tried to break free of his chest, and finally succeeded in his task after a minute or two of steady breathing. The back of his neck was doused with a fresh layer of sweat, as well as the rest of his body. Softly, he shook, and there was no one to hold him.

A week ago, Hikaru started to return from his late nights and usually slept with his face against the cushion of the white leather couch in the computer room, forgetting that he had a room of his own only a flight of stairs away. Despite his worry, Kaoru kept his distance with respect. Relations weren't the best between the two brothers as they should've been. Only a few days prior to his first face plant into the couch, Hikaru left the room with a few words on how he wished "things could've gone the way he wanted", and it struck Kaoru like a bolt of unacceptable lightning. He never truly imagined that his brother, Hikaru, would swing that way. Maybe he was overanalyzing, maybe he wasn't. After all, the maple syrup incident was still a memorable event in his mind, and the maids probably hadn't forgotten either.

The nocturnal wind fiercely tore through the trees and bombarded the Hitachiin manor, shaking the house ever so slightly and causing the youngest of the twins to become quite paranoid. He stared at the empty spot next to him on the sheets with upmost forlorn, soft tears pricking the corners of his darkened eyes. Closing his eyes, he flopped onto the bed once more and gave a heavy sigh.

He wanted to sleep. He wanted to drift off into a world of peaceful slumber. But most of all, he wanted his brother back.

He wished harder than ever before for an answer to his problems, and even if he didn't get one, he knew that things would work out eventually.

Eventually, though, seemed eons away...

---------------------

"Hitachiin."

"..."

"Hitachiin Kaoru."

"... ..."

"Hitachiin Kaoru!!"

"Ah! Y-y-yes, Tenshigaza-sensei!!"

Various chuckles and vague whispers began to wriggle through the classroom as the Literature teacher tapped his loafer-clad foot impatiently, uncharacteristically harsh blue-green eyes intent on a pair of startled light hazel ones. He turned back to the board, his sandy mid-back hair setting in its rightful place as he began to write a few words from the piece the class was reading. "Kaoru-kun, could you please read me the next paragraph from the exert?"

Regaining his footing on where his mind resided at the moment, he stood from his chair with respect and took the novel up with him. His golden eyes, somewhat devoid, trailed down to the paper and he began to read the correct paragraph.

"With upmost caution, she lay a trembling hand on his heart, tears filling her soft eyes slowly as she removed it from the spot, as if the snow encasing her heart had finally melted away. At long last, she had discovered what these feeble things known as emotions were, and with a tight grasp, she nearly severed his hand from his wrist with her hold. There was no pulse; no matter how much she willed it to be, he would never return to the world of the living. Hanamomo gently brushed a strand of raven hair from his forever shut emerald eyes. This was it. It was over. Hanamomo Asahiko had lost her only one, her true love, her mate for life. Mitsumoku Kazuma was to lay forever in the land of the sleeping, the land of the dead."

It was read with such raw emotion that not even the strongest of females in the class could keep tears from appearing in their eyes. And of course, the homosexual Literature teacher had watery orbs as well. It seemed he had lost that unknown coldness as the words gracefully wisped from Kaoru's mouth. Hikaru noted this as well, narrowing his eyes dangerously at the man in his late twenties.

"V-... Very good... Kaoru-kun," the emotional man stated, brushing away the tears with his index finger and thumb. There was a tiny (yet obvious) crack in his normally flamboyant voice. "You read exceptionally, as always."

Just as the rest of the class was returning to their normal facades, a few choice knocks on the classroom door put everyone on curiosity's list. Tenshigaza, smiling widely, rushed to the door with the excitement of a child at Christmas. He fantastically threw open the door and grinned from ear to ear when he saw the neutral face of the student waiting outside. "Class! Wonderful news! We have a new student!" He removed himself from the arch of the doorway so the newbie could enter.

The entire room seemed to freeze at first because of the sternness on his face, but soon, the girls swooned.

Standing in front of Tenshigaza's desk stood a teenage boy with sandy light brown hair and deep eyes that were almost the darkest shade of the night sky. His hairstyle was unusual; his locks of light brown were spiked downwards, gently tickling his collarbone. A sand-colored wing of hair made for his bangs. A constant glare stayed positioned on his face, yet he didn't look older than a preteen. He looked to be about as tall as Haruhi, which the twins took note of before anyone else had a chance to comprehend the boy's height.

The teacher smiled a grand smile and placed an arm around his shoulders. The boy didn't even flinch, but only swayed a few centimeters under the weight. "Everyone, give a warm welcome to the son of a close friend of mine, Shunshuu Henteko!!"

Hikaru's hunter-like eyes immediately narrowed as his eyebrows furrowed into a glare, hateful vibes radiating like waves from the sun itself. Henteko only glanced at him, not feeling threatened in the least bit. Rather, the gesture was done as an acknowledgment of the older twin being there with anger building instead of just a glance full of fear for his own safety. He didn't seem phased.

Kaoru, on the other hand, kept a straight face of indifference. He held his hands close to his face folded, his chin resting upon the backs of his hands as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

But something was out of the ordinary, especially when the boy opened his mouth.

"Hajimemashite (1). I am Shunshuu Henteko, from the Hokkaido area."

The class went stiff.

His voice...

His voice was...

Suddenly, an ear-piercing chorus of fangirl screams rang out like a banshee's call. "KYAAAA!!! WHAT A DIVINE VOICE!!!!"

Unlike a novice to the host club's charm, Henteko did not even flinch as the new Henteko Fanclub squealed in delight at the pure smoothness of his voice.

Kaoru could not help but feel somewhat jealous.

---------------------

"With a voice like that, he's **got** to join the Host Club!"

"Did you hear him speak?! His voice is like a silky breeze!"

"Oh no, it's much more similar to a soothing river!"

"He's simply divine!!"

"Did you see his eyes? It's like he's always pondering some unsolved mystery or something!"

"His hair is the most beautiful masterpiece I've ever laid eyes on!!"

"He said he's from the Hokkaido region!! Kyaa!! And to come _here_ of all places!!"

"We're so lucky he's in our class!!"

"The host club has been falling as of late. Maybe if Henteko-kun joins..."

"If he doesn't join, I'll be forced to stop going!!"

Walking down the halls in somewhat of a hurry, Kaoru made his way to the cafeteria and out the back door. He took with him no food whatsoever. Under his left arm tucked securely lay his briefcase. Veiling his adjusting eyes from the sunlight with his right hand, the younger twin scanned the perimeter.

It was a truly beautiful day outside, which was unusual because of last night's windstorm. Kaoru expected more of a hellbent scene in front of him, but the garden crew at the high school was a Spartan group. It was to be expected that they would have the courtyard as clean as possible no matter what the weather may have in store.

As he finished walking down the short set of steps, he raised his head and spotted a young man sitting on the fancy, well-made bench. He had seen him when he first stepped out, but now that he was closer, the man was easier to make out.

He wore the same uniform as Kaoru and sat with one leg folded properly over the other in a sophisticated manner. He was staring straight down at a black notebook in his hands, scribbling something down quickly without pause. His eyes were void, his mind captivated by the pages and seemingly entranced by the power it could have held.

One thing surprised him though.

It was Henteko.

---------------------

(1) Hajimemashite - "Hah-jee-meh-mahsh-teh" - "Nice to meet you", or literally, "this is the first time we meet".

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Wulfi-chan: Well, guess what. I read a review from someone just recently and that's what inspired me to put all of my other junk aside and finish up this chapter. At the beginning, where it says I've been into the anime for like, five months... It was originally two months. O.O Yeah...

So, I'd like to say, woo-hoo and yippee, I'm back from my three month work leave:D Hopefully I can finish this up this summer. -prays- I hope you all didn't lose interest in this story!! DX

For those of you confuzzled, the mystery anime is Death Note!! -cheers- And no, it's not a crossover, and he's not really writing in a Death Note (or _is_ he?!). :P

Time to answer reviews. B-)

wickedlady 101 - Oh gods, thank you for the elite praise!! -is grateful indeed- I'm pleased that you're pleased. XD And to think, I've only whetted your taste, for this is just the beginning!! Things really start to move from here, you can count on it!! It's summer, so I'm trying to free up some spaces in my schedule for writing:)

Scatter Plot - SP-kun, I thank you for the praise, and I'm shortening the commentary with every chapter. I'm sure you will no doubt love my story. Please continue to read this piece of fiction, and thank you once more. :)

Mercurial Flux - Thanks a lot, I'm glad you like it! If you like it now, this story will be sure to suck you in even further as time moves along. ;)

naruchaan - You are the one who inspired me to dust of my WordPerfect and get back to work. XD Thank you so very much, naruchaan-... uh... -chan. :P And the "it" was referring to the cage. :) THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Remember, read and review, and don't do drugs or Kaitai and Kaoniban will beat you with stale loafs of bread. ;)


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